Puppy Overdose

I told Elva today that I was going to have to start carrying around some of that Narcan stuff in case she completely overdoses on puppies.

It could happen.

The puppies have moved out into the garage/woodshed and they are enjoying their new space....

...and practicing to be big, serious guard dogs.

They are terribly ferocious.

 Practicing their attack skills....

...while mom shows them how to protect every, little thing.  Including puppy toys that need to be rescued, handled gently and guarded from marauders.

I've seen a lot of posts recently about how Livestock Guardian Dogs should not be handled by people and that they have to be locked in and isolated with their charges so that they will bond with them. 

Total hogwash.

Yes, the puppies need to be around livestock and, by the time these pups leave, they will know all about sheep, lambs, chickens, cattle, cats, other dogs, etc.  Each of these puppies is spoken for and they are all going to small farms where they will have a variety of livestock and people to look after.  They are fully capable of doing all that may be asked of them whether it is looking after a flock a milk goats, hiking with their people or guarding the sheep while they watch Border Collies learn how to do their jobs.

These dogs are intelligent, intuitive and have been born with the aptitude and skill to do all of the above while also riding happily in a car to the vet's office or distinguishing a real threat from stray child wandering in to visit the lambs.  I know most people don't want stray children wandering around in their fields, but it happens all the time and even fewer of us want the dogs to devour the small children.  I personally don't know why anyone would want a big, powerful dog that can't be handled - or a small, toothless dog for that matter.

I find it to be a baffling disservice to these dogs to expect them to live alone amongst a flock of sheep, making all the tough decisions, protecting them from all threats while simultaneously believing them to be too stupid to do anything else.  I've met a few dogs raised like that and, as much as I love dogs, I'd never want one of them around.

Fortunately for these pups, they are all going to homes where they will be able to live up to their true abilities and be loved and appreciated for all of them.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to keep Elva from going into massive puppy withdrawal at the end of May when they finally move on to their new farms.  Does Narcan work on puppy overdose?